Long COVID fatigue and brain fog, close to normal after strength and endurance training
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 8 months
- Last post
- Aug 2023
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
After getting covid and long covid twice in a year I was able to kick it after 6 months
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
After each bout, I could barely walk 1/2 mile without doubling over. Could do over 10 pull ups to barely 2.
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
ONLY gradual increments in strength training has near 90% where I was bevore Covid last February.
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Got it second time in 2022 in Dec.
Read from 110 of their posts and comments; links to the 31 this page draws on
Summary
A US man's second COVID infection in December 2022 left him with fatigue, brain fog, blurred vision, breathlessness, heel pain and lost strength; he kept working. A bivalent booster cleared a four-month rash in days, and he credited gradually increasing strength and endurance training for about 98% of symptoms gone after four to five months, with most gone by six months and about 90% by eight. By month eight he was running 5Ks and lifting near his old level, still bothered by poor sleep and low mood.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- gradual increments in strength training · Helped a lot
Have you tried gradual increments in weight training yet? Cured me twice.
In context ↗ - rest · Helped
Rest is key. I had LC twice and both times battled out of it. A LOT OF REST!
In context ↗ - bivalent booster · Helped a lot
In 2 days my brain fog started lifting and rash of 4 months disappeared.
In context ↗ - paxlovid · Not said
First time I had paxlovid. But that didn’t stop the rash coming 5 months later
In context ↗ - intermittent fasting · Not said
to something like 16:8 intermittent fasting, to going 2 days with 0 food
In context ↗ - cold pool / cold showers · Helped
I jumped in a cold pool last week for 30 seconds. Helped a lot.
In context ↗ - sauna · Helped
Sauna helped too after work outs.
In context ↗ - eye focus exercises · Not said
I also been doing eye focus exercises.
In context ↗ - meditation · Not said
Do eye exercises, meditation at times too
In context ↗ - Psyllium husk · Not said
Another fasting trick.. Psyllium husk. Pure roughage.
In context ↗ - prescription anti-inflammatory cream · Not said
some prescription anti-inflammatory cream
In context ↗ - improved sleep hygiene · Helped
Nothing helped brain fog more than working up in intensity of physical activity and good sleep hygiene.
In context ↗ - no alcohol and no junk food · Not said
Avoiding alcohol far more over this time. Hardly having much at all.
In context ↗
Approaches: Pacing · Physiotherapy and rehab · Radical rest · Vaccination
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, with time counted from when the illness began. Hover or tap a point. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2022 | second COVID infection; long COVID followedCovid decimated me in 10 days. I could barely walk to bathroom but I wasn’t shitting the bedIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| January 2023 | bivalent booster cleared the four-month rash and his head felt clearer2 days after I got the bivalent booster a month out from second infection, the rash i had for last 4 months disappeared and I began to feel much clearer mindedIn context ↗ | Mild | COVID vaccination as treatment |
| 2023-03-23 | woke feeling much worse, then forced a treadmill 5K and weightsWoke up today even worse. Like it’s going to be impossible.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2023-04-07 | 98% of long COVID symptoms eliminated after four months of self-directed trainingI have achieved 98% elimination of long covid symptoms after 4 months by myselfIn context ↗ | Near normal | Graded rehab and self-made programmes |
| 2023-07-30 | back to running 5Ks and lifting; little long COVID leftnow I don’t have much LC anymoreIn context ↗ | Near normal | Graded rehab and self-made programmes |
| 2023-08-09 | back to weight training, rebuilt slowly from a few push-ups and squatsover time I battled backIn context ↗ | Near normal |
Adverse events
- COVID vaccination as treatment“All I got was sore deltoid for a couple days . Big deal” In context ↗ Side effects
- Intermittent fasting“Only issue is sometime if no food is introduced can lead to indigestion.” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Graded rehab and self-made programmes“one gym bout and I’d be out a week” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Graded rehab and self-made programmes“I’d do a couple squats with no plates on the bar and see stars!” In context ↗ Low blood pressure or fainting
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I absolutely had PEM.
In context ↗ - Brain fog
I had terrible brain fog and cognitive issues , maybe still working through
In context ↗ - Vision problems
Last time I got covid my eyes haven’t focused long distance as well.
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
sharp fasciitis pain in one heel(never had before)
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
loss of strength and endurance
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
every night I sleep like shit, I wake up feeling like shit
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I have fatigue and depression issues.
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
i tried walking again and made it 500 feet and doubled over sucking wind
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I almost fainted at work too
In context ↗ - Gut problems
Nothing helps my gut more than 2+ mile runs
In context ↗
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